Merry Christmas in Missoula! A tree for the hill and its hikers

If you hear the tinkling of chimes and see a shimmer on boughs of green near the top of Waterworks Hill, walk a little closer.

Go ahead. George Ybarra, a metal sculptor who does much outdoor installation work, wants you to share in the festivities, the joy of the mountain.

"For this particular Christmas tree, I just again wanted to share in the season of the holidays and be able to give something back to the hikers and people who frequent the North Hills because the trail systems up there are so amazing," Ybarra said.

On Tuesday, he and his little girl, Zora, 10, added some more ornaments to the tree, one Ybarra had selected for the occasion. The small, round pine is a little ways off the trail, but it's not so far away it melts into the landscape.

It's the second year Ybarra has decorated a tree, but the Northside resident and artist has been walking up Waterworks ever since the peace sign was painted on a telephone relay tower on the hill. In 2001, the sign came down, but its footings are still in place on the way to the summit, and Ybarra saw an opportunity in the gap.

"After they took down the peace sign, I was kind of inspired about having these kind of art objects up in the North Hills," he said.

At first, he bolted art to fence posts, and then last year he decided to decorate a Christmas tree. He selected the one at the top of the Orange Street switchbacks, and he and Zora twisted aluminum into metal spirals for ornaments.

"It was real fun for her to work with me on that project 'cause I always like to do a craft project over the holidays," Ybarra said.

A group of ladies who walk Waterworks liked the tree, and they brought up ornaments and added to the display, too. Soon after Jan. 1, Ybarra cleared out the ornaments, and the Christmas tree returned to its simple, unadulterated glory.

A few months later, Ybarra began planning for this year's tree. For at least six months, he and Zora collected the lids from olive cans to use as decorations.

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Merry Christmas in Missoula! A tree for the hill and its hikers